Bone cement mixing and delivery systems are well known for mixing separate components of bone cement together to form a uniform bone cement mixture and then delivering that mixture to a target site. Typically, such systems employ a mixer having a handle for manually mixing the components. Once mixed, the mixture is then manually transferred to a delivery device such as a syringe. The syringe is used to inject the mixture into the target site. Examples of target sites include medullary canals for total hip arthroplasty procedures, vertebral bodies for vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty procedures, and other sites in which bone cement is required.
Often, the types of bone cements used in these procedures have short working time windows of only a few minutes thereby affecting the amount of time available for mixing and delivering the mixture to the target site. Current systems require a great deal of user interaction in set-up, including manually mixing the bone cement components and manually transferring the mixture to the delivery device. This user interaction delays delivery of the mixture to the target site, while also exhausting the user's energy. As a result, there is a need for bone cement mixing and delivery systems that are capable of quick set-up, with little user interaction.
One example of a bone cement mixing and delivery system that attempts to improve set-up time is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,282 to Earle. Earle discloses a motorized mixer that is used to mix the bone cement components. The mixer mixes the components a pre-selected amount of time, as set by the user. At the end of the pre-selected time, the mixer stops automatically and pressure is applied to the mixture to push the mixture out through a port in the bottom of the mixer to a syringe or a delivery cartridge.
The release of odors and gases associated with the bone cement components during mixing can also be undesirable. As a result, there is also a need for bone cement mixing and delivery systems that are substantially self-contained such that the odors and gases associated with the components are not substantially released during mixing or transfer.
One example of a bone cement mixing and delivery system that provides some containment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,907 to Faccioli et al. Faccioli et al. discloses an apparatus for mixing and delivering bone cement formed from liquid and powder components. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical body and a plunger slidable within the body. A powder chamber stores the powder component between the plunger and a distal end of the body. A glass ampoule stores the liquid component inside the plunger. To mix the components, a user presses a plug in the plunger's proximal end to urge a tip of the glass ampoule against a caromed surface (or against a piercing member) to release the liquid component. The liquid component then passes through channels defined in the plunger's head to the powder chamber. The liquid and powder are mixed by shaking the body to form the bone cement mixture. After mixing, the plunger is pressed to discharge the bone cement mixture out of an exit port in the body and through a flexible conduit to a target site.
These prior art systems are suitable for reducing set-up times, conserving a user's energy, and reducing exposure of the user to the bone cement components. However, there is still a need in the art for bone cement mixing and delivery systems that are capable of further reducing set-up time and enabling quick operation to deliver bone cement to a target site.